South Africa coach Shukri Conrad sparked controversy by using the term ‘grovel’ to describe India’s position in the Guwahati Test. As the Proteas near a historic series win, his remark—echoing Tony Greig’s 1976 comment—has triggered fan debate.
South Africa head coach Sukri Conrad sparked a major controversy following Day 4 of the ongoing second and final Test of the series against India at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, November 25. The Proteas once again dominated the match, putting Team India under immense pressure to avoid a series defeat or a whitewash.
South Africa batters made Indian bowlers, especially spinners, toil hard throughout the penultimate day of the Guwahati Test as the visitors declared their second innings at 260/5, with Tristan Stubbs top scoring with 94, and set a 549-run target for India to chase. At Day 4 stumps, South Africa were on the front foot after restricting the hosts to 27/2 in 15.5 overs, leaving India a monumental task, needing 522 runs to win, with just one day left to avoid a series whitewash.
After winning the first Test at Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata, South Africa are now aiming for a win in the Guwahati Test to register their first red-ball series win on Indian soil.
‘We Wanted Them to Grovel’
As South Africa are on the verge of a historic Test series win in India, head coach Shukri Conrad sparked a massive controversy with his remark against Team India. Speaking at the press conference after Day 4, Conrad highlighted the Proteas’ dominant performance against India in India by using the term ‘grovel’.
“We wanted India to spend as much time on their feet out in the field. We wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out of the game and then say to them welcome and survive on the last day and an hour this evening,” the South Africa coach told reporters in Guwahati.
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The term ‘grovel’ first emerged when England captain Tony Greig used it during the 1976 series against West Indies, which became quite a controversial statement, given the racial dynamism of the era and sport’s colonial history. However, Greig’s remark completely backfired as West Indies, led by Clive Lloyd, dominated England and clinched the series 3-0.
The controversial term used by Tony Greig 49 years ago came to the spotlight after Shukri Conrad invoked it to describe South Africa’s dominant position over India in the ongoing second and final Test of the series in Guwahati.
How Fans Reacted to Shukri Conrad’s ‘Grovel’ Remark
Shukri Conrad’s ‘grovel’ remark to describe South Africa’s dominant performance against Team India sparked debates over the use of over the insensitive use of a racially and historically loaded term.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), a section of fans and cricket enthusiasts found the term used to describe India toiling hard against dominant South Africa as ‘provocative’ and a regrettable revival of a racially and historically charged phrase. While others argued that Conrad’s statement was more about asserting dominance in a competitive context than invoking historical racial connotations.
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Meanwhile, India are currently on the verge of its second consecutive Test series whitewash at home. Last year, Team India suffered a 3-0 Test series whitewash at the hands of New Zealand, marking the end of their dominance in red-ball at home.
With 522 needed to win on Day 5, Team India has an arduous task at hand to chase down a record target of 549, a feat never achieved in the history of Test cricket, making South Africa clear favourites to seal a historic series victory in India.